I could use some ideas.

24 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 1,2023 at 3:59PM UTC

   Following as I am experiencing similar issues. Either I don’t get any replies or the response they are going with someone else whose qualifications are a closer match to what they are looking for. It’s definitely frustrating.

   Good luck on your search and I hope you find a position that is meant for you and your skill set!

2. AnonymousJune 1,2023 at 4:52PM UTC

   I don't hear anything in your post about your networking efforts. If everything you've detailed above are all cold applications (with no internal connection) I'm not terribly surprised about the low response rate...despite the credentials!

   I'd be looking at people already within the organization that can offer or "attach" a referral to your application. With my employer, an internal referral carries a significant amount of weight in securing an interview.

   Best wishes!

3. AnonymousJune 1,2023 at 5:00PM UTC

   Suffice it to say that they don't want to pay you for your experience and are looking for someone without that much so they can pay them less. Welcome to ageism and the "overqualified" realm.

4. AnonymousJune 1,2023 at 5:01PM UTC

   You can't just apply for jobs and then wait for them to decide you are a fit. You have to look to see who you know or if you don't know someone at the company see if any of your second level contacts know someone inside. If so let them broker you as a fit for the job. Sometimes looking at who has left the company and the demographic will give you the why you are not being considered for the role though a fit. Join some meetup groups, post some info about why you are expert at what you do where it will be seen. Ask former co-workers to share your resume if they are willing. It's definitely a tough market now so you have to be creative and sometimes sending a resume to the CEO when it's a small enough place is a good idea too, especially in startups. If you do this make sure there is a well written cover note about the why attached and ask for an informational interview in some situations.

5. Maggie StoneJune 3,2023 at 1:21PM UTC

   I agree. The simple message is network, network, network.

6. AnonymousJune 1,2023 at 10:38PM UTC

   I have degrees and experience that cause recruiters to think I would be demanding a six-figure salary when I would be happy with half that. When I send out a resume, I research the company and tie the cover letter to my career goals and how they fit in with its mission. It has occasionally gotten me noticed, especially if I can tie in some mutual colleague or organization I know is known therein.

7. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 2,2023 at 4:38AM UTC

   You don't say what you do.

   YOU SAID: "was told my skills and background don't match what they are looking for. "

   Please take this information with a softball size grain of salt. Reasons given are typically generic and most probably have nothing to do with you personally. At one company I worked for, we dispositioned everyone out with the same experience explationation.

   Even if that is the reason, it's completely subjective. One hiring manager might not move you forward in the process because of X. That X might be the exact thing that WOULD make a hiring manager move you forward.

   Hiring managers are the ones who determine the criteria they're looking for and many times it's extremely narrow - certain experience for a certain number of years in a company this size in this industry working on this specific product line.

   I know you say you're applying to positions you've already done. This part is for others then: typically 70% or more of the candidates who apply to my open requisitions are not a fit. Many aren't even CLOSE to being a fit. Just went through about 40 resumes and two have potential. Please read the job description.

   What have you done so far in your job search? Where do you have your resume posted? How often are you updating those profiles?

   Is your LinkedIn profile filled out and up to snuff? Do you have the green “open to work” banner on your LI profile and the other “open to work” indicator that recruiters with a LinkedIn Recruiter license can see? Are there specialty job sites you could be using?

   You have a degree. Are you utilizing the University's job site, LinkedIn group or alumni network?

   Please let me know if you have any questions.

   Good luck!

8. PatriciaJune 3,2023 at 1:18PM UTC

   I am in a similar position, so I decided to create a post on LinkedIn - within hours of posting a recruiter reached out and asked for my resume...... and even though I posted about Project Management (my background) he was more interested in my post-graduate degree in Data Science and has put me forward for a Data Analyst position, paying more than my normal rate. Could be worth a shot!

9. Keshri TewariJune 3,2023 at 1:18PM UTC

   I feel like you are telling my story! This is exactly what I’ve been going through. I’m really beginning to think it’s all about the right timing. Wishing you luck and how your time comes soon.

10. GirlBossanova934974June 3,2023 at 1:19PM UTC

    Couple of hints I am seeing in your writeup. You applied for something you have been doing for 10 years. The employer saw that too and may have figured you were looking for X dollars when they only wanted to pay Y dollars. That Masters Degree may have hurt you in that regard. Second, as some have already said, networking efforts have been what? Third, what professional societies do you belong to? Many of these societies have their own job boards which only members can apply to. Fourth, how many real jobs have you applied to that you were qualified for? You have to get a few dozen into the queue before results will start coming through. How many resume types do you have? Most recruiters recommend at least 2-3 for various roles.

11. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 1:36PM UTC

    I just went through the same experience. I have a lot of experience and a recent Masters degree but not many interview invitations. I ended up getting a job by attending my school's virtual job fair. I think having several resumes and cover letters are a good start and networking. See if you can figure out how your skillset falls short based on the jobs you are applying to and fill that gap. I had to learn more about GitHub, agile and Jira for some of the jobs I was trying for.

12. Jeannette FishJune 3,2023 at 2:55PM UTC

    I have the exact same situation going on...I cannot even get a phone screen to get to an interview! I wish I had advice. I will be watching here for feedback.

13. PatriciaJune 4,2023 at 3:21AM UTC

    I am in a similar position, so I decided to create a post on LinkedIn - within hours of posting a recruiter reached out and asked for my resume...... and even though I posted about Project Management (my background) he was more interested in my post-graduate degree in Data Science and has put me forward for a Data Analyst position, paying more than my normal rate. Could be worth a shot!

14. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 3:02PM UTC

    Check out Madeline Mann on YouTube. I love and recommend her interview tips. She has a lot of other great info too that may help with your resume/application process. Best of luck, you've got this!

15. Crystal HowellJune 3,2023 at 3:55PM UTC

    I had this happen once, and I was frustrated as well. I contacted the recruiter and the hiring manager later after finding out through sales navigator who they were and asked why I was overlooked. I sent my resume directly to the mgr, and was told their was a glitch in the computer reading resumes, or the letter generated was in error as they have had so many apply. Basically crashed the system, I go the job. Keep searching for the hiring manager, and call no emails. force them to talk!!!

16. AYANNALYSEJune 3,2023 at 4:41PM UTC

    Remove the masters

17. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 5:28PM UTC

    I usually tailor the cover letter to get the attention of HR (focused mostly on the skills that are in the posting) and the resume more towards the hiring manager (more towards displaying that I understand the skills I referenced in the cover letter). Good luck.

18. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 6:33PM UTC

    I'm in the same boat for the past 5 months. I have over 20 years experience and have had so many calls and interviews, but nothing. It's discouraging, but I try and stay positive and keep moving forward with applying. I feel something will come through when it's the best fit and the time is right.

19. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 7:23PM UTC

    Some resume and interview tips below are helpful but please know you are not alone. I've sent over 500 resumes out, good resume, in some cases included positive quotes / references, tailor responses to questions, cover, and resume.... yet my inbox is filled with canned "thanks but we've (filled, skills don't match...etc". I received one reply that stated due to the number of applicants we didn't review your resume, but stay in touch and follow our blog blah blah. A friend who is hiring (not a role for me) said they had close to 700 submissions. So, take the tips and continue to power, but my best advice is to equally understand you're not alone, don't let the denial emails bring you down, focus on this unfortunate time on learning something new or going deeper. Consider contract or consulting roles (still hard to get bites) and where you can, don't lose sight of the time off in between and enjoy things you can't do as often when on the grind. It's mind boggling and a new experience for so many of us to not even get interviews.

20. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 7:31PM UTC

    Also, I agree on the networking, though not all align into the 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon connections :)

21. AnonymousJune 4,2023 at 1:06AM UTC

    Although I am not the OP here, I can fully relate to their situation and really appreciate this advice you gave:

    "Sometimes it’s not a rejection. Sometimes it’s a redirection because unbeknown to us, it’s really not the right place for us to be and they did us a favor by not hiring us. Know there is something better ahead for you. If negativity is creeping in, take a break because that will come through when you interview and erode your confidence."

    I have heard that time and again, and it is reaffirming to see this reminder yet again. :)

22. Jill KapinusJune 4,2023 at 4:20AM UTC

    I was having a very similar struggle. I've been looking for a job since October 2022 with little to no response other than boilerplate rejection emails. I believe now that companies are more comfortable with 100% remote positions post-pandemic, the applicant pool for jobs have just exploded in volume.

    My helpful tip for you is to use a paid resume review service. I needed an expert in my field to optimize my resume so that it could at least get past the algorithm so that a real human being could evaluate my experience and matchability. Since doing that last month, I have gotten a few interviews and have been interviewing last and this upcoming week. I really recommend it. I paid $150, it came back quickly, and I was able to request edits and ask questions about choices they made.

    If you're feeling stuck, you are not alone! Myself and many people out there are having similar struggles. But I do highly recommend paying to get your resume optimized to help your experience get past the bots! Haha...

23. Laura BrennanJune 5,2023 at 1:17AM UTC

    First of all, job hunting is so frustrating, I am sending you good vibes! I do have a couple of thoughts:

    1) It seems like you are doing a ton of great stuff around your resume, so let's look beyond that. Someone suggested doing a post on LinkedIn -- that kind of thing is brilliant. Where can you showcase your expertise? Is there a professional organization in your field (likely the answer is yes)? Do they have a newsletter or meetings? Can you write an article for them, which you can then also post on LinkedIn? Can you teach a webinar for them and let your social media know that you're doing that, maybe following it up with a short piece on LinkedIn or Substack? How can you share a little bit of your expertise with a large number of people in a professional manner? Doing it through the auspices of a professional org can give it a little extra oomph, but just posting useful information is great, too. Stay away from FB or Twitter for this -- you want it to go out to people who are outside of your immediate circle of friends, and obviously you want space to be thoughtful.

    2) What if you applied to positions that you think are a little out of your reach? What's the harm? You're already not getting ones you think you are qualified for -- it may be some people see you as overqualified, even if you don't see yourself that way. Why not give bigger positions a whirl? The worst that happens is, you don't get them either. But you might end up pleasantly surprised. Or meeting people you want to work with, and who want to work with you, when another position opens up.

    3) After a "no," how are you following up? Many, many positions end up vacant again 6 months later, but employers don't necessarily go back to the candidates they turned down, not because they weren't also qualified, but because there's a hiccup there -- maybe they feel embarrassed or that the person was upset... I'm not saying you'll definitely get an offer if you send a nice thank-you that lets them know you'd still love to work with them someday and you hope the right opportunity comes by, but it might make you memorable enough in a good way, a way that smooths the path for them to come back to you later.

    4) Finally, how can you create support for yourself and others as you go through this? Having a group of, say, 8-12 people who are all trying to make something happen in their lives (not necessarily getting a new job, but maybe building a business or creating some project, something they need accountability and support for) can be invaluable. Feedback, tips, ideas, accountability, handholding, and helping each other with introductions and expertise. The best way would be to find three friends to start a core group and then have each of them bring two other people into the group -- that way nobody knows everybody and there's fresh blood and fresh ideas.

    These are really next-level tips, and you don't have to take all (or any) of them, but if you're looking for a new approach, some of these might help. Good luck! We're all rooting for you.

24. AnonymousJune 5,2023 at 12:31PM UTC

    Best advice, become an investigator. Before applying - maybe even months before applying. Develop connections via social media to learn more about the firm and develop a positive exchange with those who could "refer" you to the company.